As always, Sporting News' weekly Field of 68 is a projection of what the NCAA Tournament selection committee would do based on what's happened so far this season.

Note: Automatic bids, listed in parenthesis, are given tot he team with the fewest conference losses (through Sunday's games). In the case of ties, the designation is given to the team with the best Pomeroy rating. RPI numbers are from CBSSports.com.

Syracuse. 25-0, 12-0 ACC. Rankings: RPI 3, Pomeroy 5. Last week: 1 seed. Need to know: The Orange won two games last week by a total of three points. Clearly, Syracuse already is in survive-and-advance mode. The biggest test of the year is Saturday, with a road game against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Florida.. 23-2, 12-0 SEC. Rankings: RPI 4, Pomeroy 2. Last week: 1 seed. Need to know: After that win at Kentucky, the Gators are very much in contention for the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. Too bad the closest thing they could get to home-court advantage in the regional round is the Memphis site.

Wichita State. 27-0, 14-0 Missouri Valley. Rankings: RPI 7, Pomeroy 11. Last week: 1 seed. Need to know: The pre-Valley Tournament heavy lifting it done. Still, a loss would probably cost the Shockers their spot on the top seed line because any loss, taking into account the teams remaining on the schedule, would be considered a “bad” loss.

Arizona. 23-2, 10-2 Pac 12. Rankings: RPI 2, Pomeroy 1. Last week: 1 seed. Need to know: Since Brandon Ashley was lost for the year with an injury during the game at Cal, Arizona is just 2-2 (including the loss at Cal). That’s not the way to hold onto a No. 1 seed.

Kansas. 19-6, 10-2 Big 12. Rankings: RPI 1, Pomeroy 10. Last week: 2 seed. Need to know: The case for a No. 1 seed starts with 14 wins vs. RPI top 100 teams. But, six overall losses is a ton for a spot on the top seed line, and the 3-4 record vs. RPI top 25 isn’t great.

San Diego State. 22-2, 11-1 Mountain West. Rankings: RPI 20, Pomeroy 23. Last week: 2 seed. Need to know: The Aztecs severely damaged their chances of earning a No. 1 seed with their Tuesday loss at Wyoming. This is finally the week the top two teams in the Mountain West meet, with the Aztecs playing at New Mexico Saturday.

Villanova.. 22-3, 10-2 Big East. Rankings: RPI 5, Pomeroy 9. Last week: 2 seed. Need to know: At this point, it would be hard to convince the selection committee that Villanova belongs on the No. 1 seed line after getting swept by Creighton, by a total of 49 points. Aside from those losses, though, the Wildcats have an excellent resume (SOS RPI 8, non-con neutral-court wins vs. Kansas and Iowa).

Creighton. 21-4, 11-2 Big East. Rankings: RPI 8, Pomeroy 4. Last week: 3 seed. Need to know: So much for the idea that the 28-point win at Villanova was a fluke, eh? The Bluejays beat the Wildcats by 21 points Sunday and sit securely into a top 4 seed at this point, barring some type of collapse.

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No. 3 seeds: Cincinnati (AAC), Duke, Wisconsin, Michigan State

Cincinnati. 23-3, 12-1 AAC. Rankings: RPI 14, Pomeroy 25. Last week: 3 seed. Need to know: The winning streak done at 15 games, the Bearcats are about to enter their seed-defining stretch (after a roadie at UCF). Cincinnati hosts Louisville Saturday, then its next two games are at Connecticut and vs. Memphis.

Duke.. 20-5, 9-3 ACC. Rankings: RPI 9, Pomeroy 3. Last week: 3 seed. Need to know: From a resume standpoint, the two-point win against Maryland Saturday was solid. From a purely basketball standpoint, it showed how the Blue Devils can struggle when their jump shots aren’t falling (they were 5-for-24 from 3-point range).

Wisconsin. 21-5, 8-5 Big Ten. Rankings: RPI 6, Pomeroy 12. Last week: 5 seed. Need to know: All of a sudden, the Badgers are once again playing like a potential Final Four team. They’ve knocked off three consecutive NCAA Tournament-bound teams and Saturday’s game at Iowa is the only one of their final five against definitely at-large teams.

Michigan State. 21-5, 10-3 Big Ten. Rankings: RPI 18, Pomeroy 18. Last week: 2 seed. Yes, the Spartans are less than full strength (Keith Appling is still hurting, and Branden Dawson is still out), but that home loss to Nebraska Sunday should take them out of the No. 1 seed conversation for the moment.

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No. 4 seeds: Virginia, Michigan (Big Ten), Iowa, Kentucky

Virginia. 21-5, 12-1 ACC. Rankings: RPI 17, Pomeroy 7. Last week: 3 seed. Need to know: The Cavaliers are 12-1 in the ACC, with only one game (vs. Syracuse March 1) left against an at-large quality team. Still almost impossible to believe they lost their final pre-ACC game by 35 points at Tennessee, isn’t it?

Michigan. 18-7, 10-3 Big Ten. Rankings: RPI 16, Pomeroy 15. Last week: 4 seed. Need to know: The Wolverines have a week off to prepare for a huge home game against Michigan State, which is probably a good thing after they were pretty much dominated on their home court by Wisconsin Sunday.

Iowa. 19-6, 8-4 Big Ten. Rankings: RPI 24, Pomeroy 8. Last week: 4 seed. Need to know: The Hawkeyes look like a Final Four contender at times, but they’re just 2-6 vs. RPI top 25 teams. That’s not the resume of a top two seed.

Kentucky. 19-6, 9-3 SEC. Rankings: RPI 13, Pomeroy 17. Last week: 4 seed. Need to know: Look, there’s no shame in losing at home to Florida. The problem for Kentucky is the missed opportunity; the Wildcats’ resume is on the light side when it comes to quality wins.

Iowa State. 19-5, 7-5 Big 12. Rankings: RPI 10, Pomeroy 27. Last week: 4 seed. Need to know: This wasn’t exactly the greatest week for the Cyclones, who were blown off the court at West Virginia, then just managed to beat Texas Tech by six points at home. Tuesday’s home game against Texas looms large for both teams.

Texas. 20-5, 9-3 Big 12. Rankings: RPI 21, Pomeroy 29. Last week: 5 seed. Need to know: The Longhorns bounced back nicely from a loss at Kansas State, with comfortable home wins against Oklahoma State and West Virginia. This week is another situation completely, with road games at Iowa State and at Kansas. A split of those would be huge.

UCLA. 20-5, 9-3 Pac-12. Rankings: RPI 12, Pomeroy 16. Last week: 6 seed. Need to know: This is the week the Bruins can prove they deserve a top-four seed. Sweep the games at Stanford and California, and their chances of landing in the Anaheim region will increase significantly. Lose, and placement becomes more of a crapshoot.

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No. 6 seeds: Ohio State, Connecticut, Louisville, North Carolina

Ohio State.. 120-6, 7-6 Big Ten. Rankings: RPI 15, Pomeroy 13. Last week: 5 seed. Need to know: The Buckeyes have won four of five games heading into a week that includes home contests against Northwestern and Minnesota.

Connecticut. 20-5, 8-4 AAC. Rankings: RPI 25, Pomeroy 20. Last week: 7 seed. Need to know: After that overtime win against Memphis, the Huskies still have three games on the schedule that will ultimately determine their seed: at home vs. SMU and Cincinnati and at Louisville in the regular-season finale.

Louisville. 21-4, 10-2 AAC. Rankings: RPI 36, Pomeroy 6. Last week: 6 seed. Need to know: As I point out every week, the Cardinals have a shiny record but little substance. Look at it this way — Louisville has played 25 games this year, and 18 are against teams ranked 130th or worse in the Pomeroy ratings. In those seven games against teams in the top 130, the Cardinals are just 3-4. That’s not a good look.

North Carolina. 17-7, 7-4 ACC. Rankings: RPI 31, Pomeroy 24. Last week: 7 seed. Need to know: The Tar Heels’ winning streak is at six games, heading into a road game at Florida State tonight. Then, they host Duke Thursday in an always-huge ACC showdown.

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No. 7 seeds: Oklahoma, Memphis, Massachusetts, Arizona State

Oklahoma. 19-7, 8-5 Big 12. Rankings: RPI 27, Pomeroy 39. Last week: 6 seed. Need to know: After a home loss to Texas Tech, only a frantic late rally at Oklahoma State helped the Sooners avoid a disastrous week. They have a week off before hosting Kansas State Saturday and playing at Kansas next Monday.

Memphis.

19-6, 8-4 AAC. Rankings: RPI 34, Pomeroy 32. Last week: 6 seed. Need to know: After the overtime loss at UConn, the Tigers are just 3-6 against RPI top 50 teams. That number will keep them from a top-five seed.

Massachusetts. 19-4, 6-3 Atlantic 10. Rankings: RPI 19, Pomeroy 44. Last week: 7 seed. Need to know: That home loss to George Mason wasn’t pretty, but the road win at George Washington countered that a bit. The Minutemen still have eight non-conference wins against teams in the RPI top 100, and that will keep them solidly in the at-large field.

Arizona State. 19-6, 8-4 Pac 12. Rankings: RPI 29, Pomeroy 30. Last week: 11 seed. Need to know: The Sun Devils are flying up seed lines of tournament projections everywhere, thanks to their Syracusian tendencies in close games. They’ve won six of their past seven games — three in overtime, one by two points and another by four points.

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No. 8 seeds: Gonzaga (WCC), VCU, Pittsburgh, Kansas State

Gonzaga. 23-4, 13-1 West Coast. Rankings: RPI 22, Pomeroy 28. Last week: 8 seed. Need to know: The Zags’ computer numbers are solid, but I admit that I’m not really sure why. They don’t have a single win over a definite at-large team, and their strength of schedule (RPI 91, Pomeroy 111) is mediocre, at best.

VCU. 20-6, 8-3 Atlantic 10. Rankings: RPI 23, Pomeroy 21. Last week: 8 seed. Need to know: The loss at Saint Louis was a missed opportunity, but it doesn’t hurt the Rams’ resume. If anything, the two-point loss makes the rematch, at VCU March 1, easily the most eagerly anticipated game in the A-10 this year.

Pittsburgh. 20-6, 8-5 ACC. Rankings: RPI 32, Pomeroy 14. Last week: 7 seed. Need to know: Pitt is 1-6 vs. RPI top 50 teams, 19-0 against everyone else. And, if not for narrow wins against Miami (OT) and Virginia Tech (2OT), the Panthers would be on a six-game losing streak.

Kansas State.. 17-8, 7-5 Big 12. Rankings: RPI 38, Pomeroy 35. Last week: 9 seed. Need to know: K-State opened the week by beating Kansas in overtime and ended it by losing in double overtime at Baylor. Such is life in the rugged Big 12.

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No. 9 seeds: George Washington, SMU, California, New Mexico

George Washington. 19-6, 7-4 Atlantic 10. Rankings: RPI 37, Pomeroy 41. Last week: 8 seed. Need to know: That was a brutal week for the Colonials. They lost to VCU and Massachusetts, and their next two games are at Richmond and at Saint Louis. Should they go 0-4 in this key stretch, they might wind up on the wrong side of the bubble.

SMU. 20-6, 9-4 AAC. Rankings: RPI 49, Pomeroy 22. Last week: 8 seed. Need to know: The baffling road losses to USF and Temple will keep the Mustangs from climbing above the 8/9 game, but they’re solidly in, as long as they avoid a collapse.

California.17-8, 8-4 Pac-12. Rankings: RPI 46, Pomeroy 43. Last week: 10 seed. Need to know: The Bears have an excellent resume kicker — the win against previously undefeated Arizona — but could use many more quality wins to improve the resume. The home game with UCLA this week is a big opportunity.

New Mexico.19-5, 10-2 Mountain West. Rankings: RPI 26, Pomeroy 45. Last week: 9 seed. Need to know: The Lobos, who lost by a point at Boise State Wednesday, finally get their shot at Mountain West-leading San Diego State at home Saturday. A win in that contest would go a long way toward securing a berth.

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No. 10 seeds: Oklahoma State, Colorado, Stanford, Minnesota

Oklahoma State.16-9, 4-8 Big 12. Rankings: RPI 45, Pomeroy 31. Last week: 9 seed. Need to know: The losing skid has reached six games — including the collapse at home against Oklahoma Saturday — and the Cowboys are still without Marcus Smart for Monday’s game at Baylor. And, they have to play Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State to end the regular season.

Colorado. 18-6, 7-4 Pac-12. Rankings: RPI 28, Pomeroy 60. Last week: 9 seed. Need to know: Post-Dinwiddie update: 5-5 without their best player. Huge home games against Arizona State and Arizona this week.

Stanford. 16-8, 7-5 Pac-12. Rankings: RPI 48, Pomeroy 35. Last week: 10. Need to know: Stanford followed great back-to-back wins against Arizona State and California by losing at Washington, the worst loss of the season.

Missouri.16-7, 4-6 SEC. Rankings: RPI 38, Pomeroy 46. Last week: 12 seed. Need to know: Mizzou ended a three-game skid with a pair of must-win victories at home against Arkansas and Tennessee last week.

Providence. 17-9, 7-6 Big East. Rankings: RPI 57, Pomeroy 56. Last week: 11. Need to know: The Friars have lost four of their past six games, and both wins in that stretch were against Big East bottom-feeder DePaul.

Oregon. 16-8, 4-8 Pac 12. Rankings: RPI 44, Pomeroy 33. Last week: 12 seed. Need to know: This is a get-well week for the Ducks, with home games against Washington and Washington State. A loss to either would be devastating.

St. John's. 17-9, 7-6 Big East. Rankings: RPI 52, Pomeroy 34. Last week: on the bubble. Need to know: Still a long way to go before the Red Storm is securely in the tournament. The kicker win over Creighton is better than any other bubble team can offer.

Tennessee. . 15-10, 6-6 SEC. Rankings: RPI 54, Pomeroy 26. Last week: 11 seed. Need to know: Bad week of missed opportunities for the Vols; they lost at home to Florida and on the road at Missouri. Tennessee’s resume is hanging on non-conference wins against Xavier and Virginia, which is enough for an at-large berth at the moment.

Baylori. 16-9, 4-8 Big 12. Rankings: RPI 50, Pomeroy 49. Last week: on the bubble. Need to know: Yes, it’s been a rough stretch for the Bears. But, add last week’s win against Kansas State to a resume that includes victories against Colorado, Kentucky and Oklahoma State and a SOS of RPI 8, and you have an at-large team this week. Plus, all of their losses are to teams in the Pomeroy top 75.